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When I first set eyes on Ryan William Lynch I knew he was a California boy. I mean- his style was just so West Coast. The long sleek hair, denim rolled up and totally not skinny jean style, a striped button down shirt tucked in and Beatles boots. It was almost over kill but I liked his completely bold and inspired attitude. It was his first show with Girls, and we were in New Jersey at the country’s greatest rock club, Maxwell’s.
He’s a jangly rhythm guitarist. And he does that same thing in his own band, San Francisco’s Dominant Legs. But these songs are more outright 80s pop- with synthesizers. Very nice and pretty “put your feet up” kind of tunes. Thanks to my main Massachusetts and sports fan man, Friendship Bracelet for reminding me of Dominant Legs.
Dominant Legs: Young at Love and Life
Well call me fucking excited. Just in time for Christmas, Real Estate are dropping another collection of songs on me. Maybe I should buy the Reality EP for all my random cousins who have terrible taste in music. Oops are they reading this?? Haha!
The Real Estate self titled debut is officially out tomorrow on Woodsist but i’ve been jamming on it for awhile now. And i’m really obsessed. It has become extremely rare to get an album’s worth of songs that are all good. This album makes me feel both blissed out and hyper aware. And that’s potent.
The Reality EP is out on Mexican Summer on December 18. YES. Stream “Younger Than Yesterday.”
Real Estate: Fake Blues
Buy the Real Estate LP here. IT’S WORTH IT.
By Daniel Szymanowski
Dan Lopatin has been a friend of mine since 2000 when we first arrived at Hampshire College as little guppies. He was the first person to turn me on to Medeski, Martin and Wood. Look how far we’ve come! Lopatin, who goes by Oneohtrix Point Never, is about to release his debut double-album on No Fun Productions, Rifts, and tonight is playing a release show with the likes of Carlos Giffoni (No Fun Fest and Productions mastermind) and Northampton Wools (featuring Thurston Moore) at Glasslands in Williamsburg.
His music paints brilliant quilts of sound on your brain– the compositions are sonic differences melded together. It’s fascinating to listen to this really long, epic track, “Physical Memory,” and try and make sense of it.
Oneohtrix Point Never: Physical Memory
Last night Richard Lloyd, one of the founding members of probably one of my top ten favorite bands, Television, played at the Studio at Webster Hall. There wasn’t a feeling of awe in the air, as there is when you see your favorite band play in top form during the height of their career. Or of amazement either, like when you see a new band that you just now is going to make major waves. No, last night was a night for appreciation.
Richard Lloyd still has a punk rock sneer on his face. He still plays his guitar as if its an extension of his body– an inner monster that needs to be controlled. (When introducing the band he even said “And this is a Fender Stratocaster playing a Richard.”) But he’s also an adult, a grown man playing rock and roll, and he doesn’t pretend to be something he isn’t. There wasn’t any odd behavior, any attempts to seem younger and harsher than he is. This made me appreciate him more. He just played his heart out, without any pretense.
Lloyd made his way through various parts of his career, playing songs off his solo albums and, to the crowds supreme delight, several Television hits including “Elevation,” “Friction” and “See No Evil.” Unfortunately, Lloyd did not attempt to play the masterful and epic “Marquee Moon,” but that’s not because he wouldn’t have been able to do it justice but because the band last night was a three-piece. “Marquee Moon” could not be played with only one guitarist.
The enthusiasm of the crowd was infectious. There was no moshing or screaming– but you knew who the fans were who’d been there in the past. They were dancing, but it seemed like they were moving for themselves, inside their heads, trying to feel and remember what it was like to see Lloyd, and hear those songs, more than 25 years ago. One guy was filming the set- and he had a long gray ponytail all the way down his back. And was sporting Chucks, of course. (Interesting side note: John Varvatos, who took over the lease at Television’s main performance spot, CBGG, was a host of the show last night, as was Legs McNeil and Bob Gruen. I didn’t see them once and I didn’t hear any introductions or speeches either.)
Lloyd did tackle a repertoire not usually even considered, for anybody: the songs of Jimi Hendrix. And while Lloyd started the series of Hendrix songs by saying he had never caught up to his hero after 35 years of playing, he did perform the songs well. “Purple Haze,” “Spanish Castle Magic” and “Axis: Bold As Love” were played with ferociousness and love. And that’s all you could hope for in a cover.
It was a clean, polished and practiced set. His band, which featured Dan Tamberelli on bass and JP “Thunderbolt” Patterson on drums, was tight. There was no drunken behavior, no broken bottles, no drug use. It was a time for fans to see a long lost hero in the spotlight again. It was all very mature. And what’s wrong with that?
I love Jason Boesel. He’s the best drummer of the 00s. And I don’t type that lightly– just like he doesn’t hit lightly. The Boes is the fucking best. And i’ve posted on him before, check out his licks.
He’s about to put out a solo album on which he drums and plays guitar- though not at the same time. Ha! Sorry, bad joke. Seriously though- Boesel’s contributions to the Mystic Valley Band record were among the album’s best. The guy just knows a good melody.
His album, Hustler’s Son, is out on Team Love on Jan. 12. Here’s your first taste, “Hand of God,” named after a heart shaped pendent Boesel wore around his neck when recording in Mexico with Conor Oberst. How awesome is that? Guest stars include members of the MVB, Orenda Fink, Blake Sennett from Rilo Kiley and The Elected and David Rawlings.
Jason Boesel: Hand of God
Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band: Difference Is Time
foto by Ian, Friendship Bracelet
When I first heard this Big Troubles song, “Freudian Slips,” I couldn’t put my finger on just what it sounded like, or reminded me of. I remembered this morning as I watched the always awesome Ray Concepcion directed and edited video… the fucking mid 90s Jesus and Mary Chain. A duh! So, here for you, is the Big Troubles song and my favorite off 1994′s Stoned and Dethroned, “Dirty Water.”
FUCK WITH ME AND ILL FUCK WITH YOU. ISNT THAT WHAT WERE SUPPOSED TO DO?
Big Troubles: Freudian Slips
Jesus & Mary Chain: Dirty Water
Solange is gonna surpass Beyonce soon. And I can’t wait. I dreamed I was going to a party at Beyonce’s house last nite. Tracy Jordan was taking me there. And i begged him not to! Anyway- this is fucking awesome. All over that sample that we all know. But WHY WHY WHY can’t i put my finger on where its from? Someone enlighten me. This is the fucking cover of the year. “Isn’t life/ under the sun/ just a crazy dream?”
Solange Knowles: Stillness is the Move
via (Pfork, a duh)
UPDATE: thanks Weekly Tape Deck!!
It’s from Dr. Dre “Xplosive”
Who sampled Isaac Hayes and sped that shit up:
She’s gonna blow him away! (with a guitar?)
So peeps have been posting about these guys already but I couldn’t pass up the chance. This music is just about exactly what I like. Calming and jammy but also catchy and upbeat. Cloud Nothings haven’t released anything yet, and there are only 2 songs on their MySpace, which has only been viewed 1,347 times. Gosh the internet is crazy. But damn these two songs are good and people are noticing. Who are these people and what is Believeland, Ohio?
“Hey Cool Kid” sounds like something i’ve heard before but I can’t put my finger on it. That’s a nice feeling, actually. Get the other track, “Whaddya Wanna Know” over at Get Off the Coast.
Look for a release on Bridgetown Records soon.
Cloud Nothings: Hey Cool Kid
I guess I can’t really make that statement yet because all songs by Austin based Yellow Fever have yet to be heard. But I can say that the most recent song to arrive in my inbox, “Hellfire,” features a similar bass driven leading line and shuffling marching band style drums, which is what the Femmes did too, but with more punk spirit. I’m looking forward to seeing Yellow Fever at Death by Audio with Vivian Girls (who are putting out the YF album on their new label, Wild World) on Dec. 12. Check out that site, you can pre-order…
Yellow Fever: Hellfire
